SA’s cities to reduce emissions

HIGH-EFFICIENCY energy performance requirements are being developed for all new buildings in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and Tshwane as the cities aim to generate less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reduce their climate impact.

Through the C40 Cities South Africa Buildings Programme, the cities are focused on tackling climate change and driving urban action that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks.

The ambition of the programme, launched yesterday at an event in Tshwane, is to make zero-carbon buildings the standard practice across South African cities.

Representatives from 10 cities across C40’s global network, including Boston, Chicago, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro, gathered to exchange best practices on building energy efficiency.

The energy used to power, heat and operate buildings accounts for more than 25% of the GHG emissions produced by South African cities.

C40 executive director Mark Watts emphasised that South African cities are already seeing the effects of climate change, from the severe drought in Cape Town to the threat of rising seas and flooding in Durban.

“Fortunately, the mayors of these cities are taking ambitious action.

“Given the urgency of the climate threat, it is critical that all new buildings are constructed to the highest levels of energy performance.

“The bold leadership of these four mayors is setting the standard which the entire world can learn from,” Watts said.

Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille said the City had recently adopted a Transit-Orientated Development Strategic Framework to address the apartheid legacy of spatial inequality, high-urbanisation rates and to improve the cost-effectiveness of public transport.

“Our participation in the C40 South Africa Buildings Programme is a significant opportunity to enable the City to support lower-carbon new build in infrastructure provision, energy-efficient building design and clean-energy supply, as well as significantly reduced transport demand.

“Through the programme, we aim to develop and begin implementing more ambitious new building energy-performance requirements that will build the path to a resourceefficient, carbon-neutral and climate-resilient city by 2050.”

Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga said the public could expect to see major shifts in urban landscapes through the programme.

“Accelerated uptake of all available greening criteria will be the order of the day, starting off with our very own infrastructure.

“It’s no coincidence that our municipal headquarters, Tshwane House, is a five-star green-rated building,” he pointed out.

“This conference must serve to harness participating cities’ collective energies to transform our urban environments as we intensify the urgency of climate action.”

Durban mayor Zandile Gumede said the port city contains some of the world’s leading experts on energy, building regulations and green buildings.

“We are working hard to document our further learning during this programme to share with other C40 cities around the world,” Gumede said.

The mayors in the big cities are taking decisive action in compliance